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West Ham transfer plan emerges as Hammers fight Arsenal and Tottenham for £30m deal
WEST HAM are ready to fight Arsenal and Tottenham for AC Milan star Franck Kessie.
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Milan could be forced to sell the midfielder in the summer to satisfy Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and Express Sport understands they will listen to offers in the region of £30million.
Kessie, 22, would prefer to move to a club who can offer him European football.
And that would put the two north London rivals in pole position for a player who is highly rated in Serie A.
The all-action Ivorian moved to the San Siro from Atalanta on a two-year loan deal in 2017.
But they have an obligation to buy him for a fee that is understood to be in the region of £24m.
Kessie made 34 appearances in Serie A last season and scored seven goals as Milan finished fifth and missed out on Champions League football.
Signing him would be a massive coup for the Hammers but they face a battle to sign him with more high-profile suitors waiting in the wings.
Chelsea have also been linked in the past and could move if they are able to get their two-window transfer ban overturned or delayed.
Arsenal might have a problem raising the finds as they will have limited funds available in the summer and manager Unai Emery needs to straighten almost every area of his squad.
West Ham, though, could have a significant transfer budget in the summer and they might need a new midfield if Declan Rice leaves the club.
Rice is a target for Manchester United and would command a sizeable fee.
The 20-year-old has expressed his desire to stay but Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini admits the club might be forced to sell if a big offer comes in.
“It's impossible, I cannot know the future,” the Chilean said, when questioned on Rice’s future last month.
“He is, of course, a player who has had a brilliant season, who is 20 years old and an English player who has a lot of qualities.
“Maybe some of the big teams, or all of them, will want him.
“But that is one thing – the other is whether he will stay here or he goes, and I cannot say at this moment.”